It disappeared with the onset of World WarII. This brings us to a very important question: When will that final destruction occur? What does the frightening beast with ten horns mean? What is the relationship between the seventh head of the wild beast and the immense image? (Daniel 2:43) People have weakened the Anglo-American World Power when they have fought to have civil rights, to have more rights at their workplace, and even to become independent nations. 32 As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass. Also, opposing ideologies and close election results that do not end up in a clear majority have weakened the power base of even popular leaders, so that they have no clear mandate to implement their policies. 4 And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good 14John described the image of the beast as an eighth king. In what sense? Why the Changes in World Governments Since 1914? 7. No longer are Gods servants limited to one nation or one locality, so that they can be oppressed by a single world power. Perhaps the iron represents totalitarian rule like what we see in Arab countries and North Korea. The prophecy at Revelation 17:10 complements another prophecy found in the book of Daniel. 9 Jehovahs servants have long sought to understand the symbolic meaning of the feet of the image. All forms of suffering will end. What does the harlot in Johns vision mean? The phrase originates from the Book of Daniel in the Bible. (b)What do we understand about the toes? (Daniel 2:28, 31-43) Daniel revealed to the monarch that the sections of the body of the image represented the succession of political empires that began with Babylon, the world power at the time. 33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. After World WarII, this trend accelerated. (See box on page17.). Sorry, there was an error loading the video. The first six heads of that beast mean Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. From his description, we can conclude that the Anglo-American World Power is the one that will be dominating when the stone representing Gods Kingdom hits the feet of the image.Dan. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon from 624 to 582B.C.E., was disturbed by a dream. Yes! In what sense is the image of the wild beast an eighth king? In short, the United States has no closer ally and no stronger partner than Great Britain., However, the first world war (1914-1918) moved Britain to embark on a special relationship with the United States, a previous colony. 11 Does the number of toes of the image mean anything? It is not depicted as an eighth head on the original wild beast. 6 Shortly after the beginning of the Lords day, the seventh head began to attack Gods people, that is, those of Christs brothers who were still on earth. (See the chart on pages12-13.) That image, which was large and the brightness of which was extraordinary, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was dreadful. What, then, should we expect?Daniel 2:41, 42; 12:4. WHO ARE ALL THESE KINGDOMS IN DANIEL 2:44? In a vision, Jehovah showed Nebuchadnezzars dream to Daniel and gave him its meaning. Then Peter wanted Jesus to wash his head, hands, and feet. . THE ANGLO-AMERICAN WORLD POWER AND THE FEET OF IRON AND CLAY. But World WarI resulted in a triumph for nationalism. Gods Kingdom will soon crush the feet of the giant image. By the 1760s, this island nation had become the mighty British Empire. The divisions of the Roman Empire (ten in number as seen in Daniel 7) are, according to chapter 2, to be looked for mixed with or among the "iron" of the Roman Empire. Before Daniels time, both Egypt and Assyria had oppressed the Israelites, the chosen people of the Bibles Author. During that war, Gods people declared that according to the prophecy in Revelation, the image of the wild beast would ascend again. The Watchtower Announcing Jehovahs Kingdom (Study)2022, The Watchtower Announcing Jehovahs Kingdom1962, The Watchtower Announcing Jehovahs Kingdom1978, The Watchtower Announcing Jehovahs Kingdom2012. The harlot will continue to be powerful and try to make kings do whatever she wants. This beast with ten horns means the world power of Rome. 14-19 - The Watchtower (Simplified)2012, go chap. 35 But there was a final or completing part of the symbolic image, namely, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.. (a)How did the seventh world power show that it was strong like iron? The tent of God is with mankind, . The body parts were of metal; from top to bottom, they were made of progressively less valuable but harder metals, beginning with gold and terminating with iron; the feet and toes, however, had clay mixed with the iron. 16:13-16; 17:12-14) Daniel describes one aspect of the final battle. What can we be sure of? a certain immense image. ^ par. The harlot will remain a potent force, attempting to bend kings to her will until God plants an idea in the hearts of those in power. (a)What can we understand when we compare the prophecies of Daniel and John? Soon Jehovah will cause the political elements of Satans system, as represented by the United Nations, to attack false religion. 15John also described a harlot, or prostitute, who rides upon a scarlet-colored wild beast. Because it has two horns, it means two governments that are partners. After World WarII, decolonization once again produced a number of new democracies. Many even believe that religion is the cause of the problems in the world. We cherish common values. ), Nebuchadnezzar is agitated by a dream. The New Encyclopdia Britannica says that this development ran counter to the conceptions that had dominated political thought for the preceding 2,000 years. Whereas hitherto man had commonly stressed the general and the universal and had regarded unity as the desirable goal, nationalism now stressed national differences. All will have an abundance of food. However, from early on, that iron has been mixed with clay. 3:1-3. The kings of the earth will not be able to attack Gods Kingdom in heaven, so they will try to fight against those on earth who support it. The clay is referred to as the offspring of mankind, or the common people. And because the United States came from Britain, we can say that, indirectly, the United States too came from Rome. (Psalm 83:18) The Witnesses program of Bible education is helping countless individuals and families to replace harmful lifestyles with clean and peaceful conduct that conforms to Gods standards. 34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Daniel 2:41 shows that the feet made of iron mixed with clay are one kingdom, not many. 25:40) Jesus indicated that during his presence, a remnant of the seed would be active on earth. According to Revelation 17:10, the seventh world power must remain a short while. How long will that prove to be? . And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. 14. 13 A prophecy in the book of Daniel helps us to understand in what period of time we are living. Consider: In other visions, Daniel mentions specific numbersfor example, the number of horns on the heads of various beasts. Amid a multitude of contending opinions and interests, minority governments often result, stalemated governments long on talk but short on action. What does the frightening ten-horned beast represent, and what do the ten horns picture? 35 To learn more about the Bible, feel free to contact Jehovahs Witnesses locally, write to the appropriate address listed on page5, or visit our Web site www.watchtower.org. Just as something made of iron mixed with clay is weaker than something made of solid iron, the Anglo-American World Power is weaker than the power from which it came. The League of Nations disappeared when World WarII started. The British Empire, states one reference work, was the largest the world had ever seen. It included 372million inhabitants and extended over 11million square miles [28million sqkm]., At a joint press conference with Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom, President Barack Obama of the United States affirmed in July2010: We can never say it enough. By the time the Lords day began in 1914, Britain had built the largest empire in history and the United States had become the greatest industrial power on earth.b During World WarI, the United States forged a special partnership with Britain. . 10 In the 21stcentury, Britain and the United States have continued their special partnership, often acting together in world affairs. . Others say publicly that the world should get rid of all religions. 35. Why should all these distinct but related developments have come together in the second half of the 20thcentury? 617-623 - The Watchtower1975, w61 6/15 pp. (Read Daniel 2:41-43.) What did this empire prove to be? (Rev. 45CT. Jesus was trying to teach them something that they did not understand. b Although the components of the dual world power have existed since the 18thcentury, John describes it as it would appear at the start of the Lords day. The visions in Revelation were prophecies about the Lords day. (Revelation 1:10) It was during World WarI that Britain and the United States began to work together as one world power. Therefore, the number seems no more significant than the fact that the image had multiple arms, hands, fingers, legs, and feet. The prophecy at Daniel 2:44 states that Gods Kingdom will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms. That prophecy refers only to the kingdoms pictured by the various parts of the image. The harlot will no longer be able to control these governments, and she will lose all her riches. Daniel said: The kingdom will partly prove to be strong and will partly prove to be fragile.Daniel 2:42; 2Timothy 3:1-3. 7. Indeed, by doing so you will see even more evidence that mans cruel domination of his fellow man is about to end. In fact, many people believe that religion contributes to or causes conflict. (Read Daniel 2:41-43.) Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. (b)What do the first six heads of the wild beast represent? This is your dream: You saw a huge statue with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, stomach and thighs of copper, legs of iron, and feet of iron mixed with clay. If we do not safeguard our heart, we might compromise our neutrality. The parallel prophecy in Revelation reveals the larger picture. 17 pp. The final destruction of Gods opposers will be a spectacular fulfillment of the prophecy at Genesis 3:15, mentioned in the first article in this series. The image displayed his kingdom, the Babylonian, followed by the successive kingdoms that have come and gone: the Medo . Nationalism exploded with full force. 4,5. 19. (Daniel 2:31-33), where the prophet interprets Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a statue with a head of gold and feet of iron clay. will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed" (Daniel 2:44). 31You, O king, were watching, and you saw an immense image. During World WarII, the ironlike power of the seventh head was also evident.c After that war, the seventh head at times still displayed ironlike characteristics. . Britain continued to grow in wealth and power, and in the 19thcentury, it was the richest and most powerful nation on earth. (b)Daniel 2:44 refers to Gods Kingdom as destroying which kingdoms? ^ par. 302-309 - The Watchtower1969, Rbi8 Daniel 1:1-12:13 - Reference Bible (Rbi8), nwt Daniel 1:1-12:13 - New World Translation (nwt), sl chap. Learn how Greece became the fifth world power in Bible history. This world power was the seventh head of the beast. However, when describing the image, Daniel does not mention the number of toes. In particular, they believe that the feet of iron and clay symbolize the Anglo-American World Power (Britain and the United States). From what he says, we understand that the Anglo-American World Power will be the world power when the stone, which means Gods Kingdom, hits the feet of the image.Daniel 2:45. THE symbolic image of world rulership by human politicsits gold, its silver, its copper, its iron and its clayis doomed as a whole! its legs of iron, its feet part of iron and part of clay. 16 Babylon the Great is described as sitting on waters. The waters mean the people who support her. The power of this image comes from the nations that are members of the United Nations, especially from the Anglo-American World Power. Let's start in Daniel 2 where we learn that Jesus's Kingdom will "grind to powder" all the other kingdoms. This last world power may be weaker than that represented by the legs of iron, but it will not disintegrate on its own. NET Bible Feet of IRON and CLAY EUROPE - The Roman Empire as a one world power disintegrated due to the attacks from the barbarian tribes. What about all other human governments? The wild beast mentioned at Revelation 13:1, its image, and the wild beast with two horns will be destroyed. THE IMAGE OF THE WILD BEAST DESTROYS THE HARLOT. The clay, therefore, represents elements within the sphere of influence of the Anglo-American World Power, elements that make it weaker than the solid iron of the Roman Empire. What were the legs of iron and feet of clay? Definition of feet of clay in the Idioms Dictionary. (Read Daniel 7:7, 8, 23,24.) Daniel foretold: The kingdom will partly prove to be strong and will partly prove to be fragile.Dan. AWAKE! 19. However, from the time the Anglo-American World Power came into existence, that iron has been mixed with clay. ( Dan. Daniel 2 (the second chapter of the Book of Daniel) tells how Daniel related and interpreted a dream of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon.In his night dream, the king saw a gigantic statue made of four metals, from its head of gold to its feet of mingled iron and clay; as he watched, a stone "not cut by human hands" destroyed the statue and became a mountain filling the whole world. Note also that during the rule of the ten toes, the common people, the offspring of mankind, would become increasingly involved in government. 8,9. Swinging the light back to the start of mans troubled history we see a spirit creature appointed as the guardian of man in the beautiful garden of Eden. Predicted World Changes up till Gods Kingdom, Crushing All Nations in Our Day by Gods Kingdom, Awaiting the New Heavens and a New Earth, Jehovah Reveals What Must Shortly Take Place, Human Governments Crushed by Gods Kingdom, How Gods Kingdom Becomes a World Government, Part 8A Political Mixture of Iron and Moist Clay, The Creating of New Heavens and a New Earth, Pay Attention to Gods Prophetic Word for Our Day, From Ancient Babylon to the Twentieth Century in Bible Prophecy. People have different political ideas. 13:15 3. Brzezinski, along with other world leaders, was interviewed by journalist Georgie Anne Geyer while she was preparing an article published in 1985 entitled Our Disintegrating World. In it she quoted Brzezinski as having said: The factors that make for international instability are gaining the historical upper hand over the forces that work for more organized cooperation. (Read Daniel 2:41-43.) is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth. Today, the harlot teeters on the back of the scarlet-colored beast. What does this strange beast represent? Five centuries of European expansion was ending in the rubble of collapsed colonial empires. Anglo-American World Power: Britain and the United States of America work together as special partners and often act as one world power, Lords day: A time period that started when Jesus was made King in 1914 and continues until he gives the Kingdom back to his Father, Jehovah. What was the completing part of Nebuchadnezzars dream image, and what interpretation did Daniel place on this final part? 13. What can we learn by comparing Johns vision of the wild beast, Daniels account of the fearsome beast that had ten horns, and Daniels interpretation of the immense image? (a)What is the future of the feet? Feet of Iron and Clay A Foretelling of the End of Man's Kingdoms By Michael Clark and George Davis For some time we have been hearing the Lord speak to us about the significance of Daniel 2:35 regarding the times we live in. BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES BECOME VERY POWERFUL. (b)What does the seventh head of the wild beast mean? Instead of uniting, it tended to disunite. 13 This wild beast promotes the making of an image of the wild beast. Her tumble will be sudden and violent.Rev. Since then the 20thcentury has been characterized by coexistence and confrontation between dictatorship and democracy.Italics ours. that discuss the seven world powers of Bible history. Jehovah . 65. 12,13. ANGLO-AMERICA AND THE TWO-HORNED WILD BEAST. AWAKE! 2:40 we see that the nature of "iron" is to grind into powder, "as iron beats to powder and subdues all things.". Britain had been a small part of the Roman Empire, but it later became a kingdom. How does Daniels interpretation of Nebuchadnezzars dream picture the violent end of the system of things that has featured world powers, and how do we know that the end of the system is near? In all the Eastern European countries where people power has forced political reform, the demand has been for free elections with a plurality of political parties participating. a certain immense image. So if, in fulfillment of the prophecy, the ten toes were to take on real significance, the political situation existing in 1914 would have to change. And when a leader wins an election by only a few votes, he does not have enough authority to do what he promised to do. Religious organizations have given their blessing to the image of the beast and have tried to exert influence over it. The expression one is referred to Rome. 18. 493-499 - The Watchtower1957, bi10 Daniel 1:1-12:13 - King James Version (bi10), w77 7/1 pp. The breasts and arms of silver depicted Medo-Persia. The statue has feet made of iron/clay, which tells us that the Roman beast would mingle with other people groups, to battle against the kingdom of Christ. According to Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security adviser to former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, the situation will not soon change. The prophecies about the immense image and the wild beast confirm that the Anglo-American World Power will not be replaced by some future world power. May2011. Eventually, the seventh head would take the place of Rome. So the ten horns mean all the kingdoms that came from the Roman Empire. (Rev. How did this happen? Only his feet must be washed. But Rome would not last forever. 5 Though Britain gained dominance, colonies in North America broke away. The two-horned wild beast represents what, and what does it do? Gods Kingdom will crush all human rulerships, including the seventh world power. Where? It has two horns, so it is a dual power. 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